Softeneth and Breedeth
by love'sunny'side'up
Summary: A runaway "prince" meets, completely by chance, a "pauper" that will change the way he views the world. Nothing was ever white and never was it always black. Many years later, even when the world conspires against him, Sasuke's sky was still blue and the sun would always be golden. Modern day AU Rated T for now
1. Chapter 1

**(01START)**

It all started with a few words. Words that were oh so innocent but pierced deep through the heart at the same time. It was delivered with no malice or bad intentions that it could have been brushed off easily. But over time, it accumulated to unimaginable heights that it left him gasping for breath.

And he found himself drowning.

_An A-? You'll do better next time, right, Sasuke?_

Disappointment

_You lost to that Hyuuga child? I see. Go see Itachi. He's better at fencing than you are. I'm sure he'll be able to teach you._

Disappointment

_You're principal called me today saying you were in a fight. Sasuke, we didn't raise you to be that way. Itachi would never have done something so humiliating._

It was written all over their faces.

But Sasuke was just a child. Compared to so many others, he'd had a lot of achievements for a parent to be proud of. Ever since he started school he was second in class, just right after Nara Shikamaru. Shikamaru was a genius and his IQ was higher than most adults so it was okay to lose to him right? At least he didn't lose to Neji in that, right?

_Itachi was much better when he was you're age, did you know Sasuke? You're big brother graduated top of his class and he received a full scholarship from Hidden Leaf Middle School, too. He's just the perfect son, isn't he?_

Sasuke was just eight, he can do better, promise. He'll be so good that they wouldn't even think to compare him to his big brother. They'll be so proud of him, just you wait.

He'll be better. He'll be perfect, too. Just like Itachi.

(01)

**July 23 20XX, 7:10 am**

Sasuke turned nine today. And he was very happy about it. After all, just a few more years and he'll be as old as Itachi! Never mind that his big brother would be much older than he was today.

There was going to be a party, too. Just for him. His mom, er, mother and father invited a lot of people just to celebrate. Sasuke also invited some of his classmates, even though he didn't want the girls to be there. Kiba said they had cooties or something. Neji was also coming because his father insisted on it. He hates Neji. They weren't even classmates since Neji was older than him. He also hated that about the boy. No one was allowed to be older than Sasuke except Itachi. Because Itachi was his brother.

_Itachi was perfect._

It was not unusual for Sasuke to be up early. His father didn't like it when he was late for breakfast. Even though it was his birthday, today was Saturday and there was a little chance that he would be forgiven, he still didn't dare be late. Today was very special.

Tidying up his bed and changing his clothes, Sasuke made his way to his bathroom. The look on his face when he saw it in the mirror was that of a wide eyed child with still too much fat on his face. He frowned at it. Standing straighter, he tried to mimic the expression Itachi and his father always has. He narrowed his eyes just so and pulled down the corners of his lips-they tried to lift up into a giddy smile but he forced it down anyway. The look was so different and funny that he had to look away for a second. Uchihas didn't laugh over silly things. They were cool and stoic, whatever that meant, and they didn't laugh.

It took him five minutes to reign in his mirth. By that time, his face was so red he looked like a tomato! His stomach grumbled at the thought. After brushing his teeth, he dashed out of his room, his rapid footsteps muffled by the thick carpet.

Sasuke's room was located at the east wing on the second floor of their house-mansion, a lot of people always called it-next to the second library and just a couple of doors away from Itachi's room. He really liked his room. It was the bedroom nearest to Itachi's and-as guilty as he was to admit-very far away from their parents' room. But don't get him wrong, he loved his parents very much; especially his mom-mother, but sometimes his father scared him. He was always very serious and there was that one time when Kiba was over and he played a prank on him. His father was so scary then that Kiba actually cried. Sasuke wanted to cry too but he didn't want to look like a baby.

He stopped a few steps away from the dining room, looking down on himself to check if everything was perfect, which it was. He patted his head, pouting when his hands met those stubborn locks at the back. Kiba said it made him look like a duck. He felt nervous which was stupid. It was his birthday, and they were celebrating today, with a party, too. There was no reason for his father to forget about him. Today was his day.

He knocked on the large double doors two times and the doors opened immediately.

"Good morning, Sasuke." The redhead maid greeted him, her smile so bright it made Sasuke blush. He smiled back at her. Karin was always so nice to him and when his parents were out, she would always play with him in the garden. Out of all their maids Sasuke loved her the most. He also loved her hair. He thought that the color matched her personality, it suited her.

His parents were already at the long dining table-he didn't know why there were about twenty seats there, they were only four of them. His father was reading something and his mo-ther was making phone calls after phone calls and typing furiously on her laptop. He really wanted to clear his throat, just like his father sometimes does, to catch their attention but he didn't want to be rude.

Karin had already pulled his seat, right next to her mother and was calling the other maid to serve his food. Her mother looked up from her laptop and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke." She said, leaning to him to give his forehead a kiss. His father looked over at him and grunted. "Happy birthday, son."

Sasuke smiled politely and mumbled a thank you. Both his parents resumed their work as Karin placed a plate of bacon and egg as well as an empty plate in front of him. A mug of milk was placed beside it.

"Happy birthday." Sasuke looked up and flashed Karin a much brighter smile.

"Thank you."

His day was already starting perfectly. Trying to tone down his excitement, Sasuke slowly ate his breakfast, making a face when he had to gulp down the milk. He tried not to rush since usually, breakfast was the only time of day he can spend with his parents. They always spent mornings like these, eating silently and doing work-in his parents' case. But today, he can spend the day the way he wanted and his parents were staying home for his birthday. Maybe later tonight, if he could gather enough courage, he would ask his mother if he could sleep with them. That would be the best birthday gift ever.

A knock on the door made all of them look up and a second later one of their butlers, Danzo, entered.

"The catering has arrived, sir, as well as the flowers you ordered." He addressed Sasuke's father.

His father stood up. "Very well. Have them arrange the garden immediately. Dear," Mikoto looked up, covering the phone with a delicate hand. "Have you contacted all the guests? I remember Takeda saying he won't make it."

"Yes, but he's sending his brother as proxy so it's fine. I also informed them about the change in time. That reminds me. Karin." She called, ignoring her husband as she addressed the maid. Fugaku was already walking over to Danzo-Sasuke hated that man-talking about arrangements and hors d'oeuvre. "Have Genma pick Itachi at the airport at one."

Sasuke perked up at this. Itachi was coming home? Really?

"Yes, ma'am." Karin followed Fugaku and Danzo out, closing the door behind her and leaving Sasuke with his mother.

He couldn't contain the question in. "Itachi's coming home?"

Her mother smiled at him. "Yes, Sasuke. But try not to be a bother to him, okay? He's had a very long week as it is." The smile on her mother's face was very bright for some reason. Sasuke really couldn't blame her; he was just as excited to see his brother again.

It had been a very long time since Sasuke and Itachi played together. Part of the reason was that Sasuke didn't want to ask, he was much too old for playing and his father insisted that he play the piano instead. Sasuke hated it. It was even playing, it was studying and he didn't want to study during play time. Another was that Itachi was super busy. Always. Ever since he started highschool-he'd skipped a few grades because he was a genius, or so their mother said. Shikamaru was a genius, too, but he wasn't skipping any grades. Too lazy to do so, most probably.

Itachi was coming home, though, so they would definitely have time to play. And he was sure that Itachi would have a present for him. He never forgets even if their mother and father sometimes did, too busy they were with work. He would have to forgo playing with Kiba and the others, though. He really wanted to stay with Itachi all day. He missed him so much.

"Finish your breakfast, darling. Iruka will be here in a while." Her mother said, gesturing for Karin, who had returned from her errand to clear the table. She stood up and placed a kiss on his forehead, soothing the frown there. "Be a good boy and don't cause any trouble to your teacher, okay? He's a really good teacher and you're very good at what you do, too."

_Not as good as Itachi, though._ Sasuke held in the whine that threatened to come out. He didn't want to have piano lessons on his birthday. What if Kiba came early and saw him. The boy told him the other day that piano was for girls. He wanted to tell her that but the look on her mother's face made him change directions. "Yes, mother."

She smiled fondly at him. "Your father's not here."

Of course. He smiled. "Yes, mom."

There was a knock and another maid entered the room. "Madame, a call for you from Mrs. Yukimura." She said.

"I'll get it. Connect it to my office. Tell her I'll be just a minute."

"Yes, ma'am."

She turned back to Sasuke. "Remember what I said, okay." She glared playfully at him and Sasuke grinned.

"Yes, mom." He hesitated for a bit, not sure if it was okay to say it now. But he really wanted to tell her. "I love you." He blushed.

Her mother's smile softened and she knelt in front of him. It made them almost the same height, Sasuke smaller by a few inches. _Someday_, Sasuke thought, _someday I'll be tall enough to hug her properly. I'll be strong enough to give her a piggyback ride, too._

"I love you, too, Sasuke." With a soft kiss to the cheeks and a tight hug, she left.

A sniffle made him turn around. "That was so sweet, Sasuke. Will you give me a hug, too?"

Sasuke blushed furiously. "S-shut up, Karin."

"Watch your mouth, young man. It might your birthday, but I can still make you wash it with soap." She chided, putting away his plates on the trolley. Sasuke frowned when she didn't pull it away, instead kneeling down to pull something out of the bottom, hidden by the cloth placed over it. She placed it on the table and Sasuke just about flooded the room with how much his mouth was watering.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke. You're pretty old now, but I'm sure you're not too old for a cake."

Was Karin kidding? No one was too old for cake, especially if it was dark chocolate. But…"Aren't you going to get in trouble?"

"Not if you tell anyone. Besides, Madame also helped in making it." She placed a spoon on his hands.

"Thank you," Sasuke said between bites, not caring if it was bad manner. "Thank you."

**(01)**

**2:00 pm**

The piano lesson turned out to be quite fun in the end. Iruka-sensei had given him a gift that, much to Sasuke's delight, wasn't piano related. It was a book called _Le Petit Prince_. He said it was a children's book but it wasn't too childish that he was sure Sasuke would enjoy it. It was pretty thin but Sasuke would still read it. He loved reading, about knights and dragons and enchanted places full of magic. Sasuke's secret dream was to be a ninja. The only person he'd told about it was Kiba because Kiba said that he wanted to be a ninja, too, and Sasuke thought they could be partners. Kiba refused, saying that the spot was saved for Akamaru. That was the day Sasuke had his one and only fight.

The lesson ended an hour early and Sasuke was allowed to play out since Kiba was already there. They stayed away from the gardens fearing that they would somehow destroy something. Besides, there were too many adults there. They would just giggle at them when they start playing ninja.

After much rough housing and chasing one another behind bushes, they both sat under the shade on a large tree. Sasuke didn't know what tree it was; just that it was the oldest tree in the universe. It was even older than Itachi.

"Here!" Sasuke startled when Kiba shoved a badly wrapped package on his face. He was about to shove it back when he realized it was a gift.

"A gift? For me?" Sasuke asked, confused. Kiba said he wasn't getting him anything.

"Of course. My momma made it. And I helped, too." Sasuke unwrapped the package and found about a dozen badly shaped cookies, vaguely resembling puppies.

"These are peanuts and these are raisins and those are the chocolates you love so much." Kiba scrunched up his face.

"But I hate raisins." Sasuke grumbled, snatching the peanut ones and taking a bite. It was good.

"Yeah," Kiba said, also snatching one for himself, "But it's my favorite. I hate dark chocolate so you eat it and I'll eat the raisins. We can share with the peanuts." He explained.

"But you said these are for me." Sasuke said, finishing his cookie and getting another one.

"Yeah, but you're not going to eat the raisins anyway, so I'll just help you. Hey!" kiba whined when Sasuke put the cookies out of his reach.

"You just want to eat cookies."

"Fine. But I helped make them so I also have rights to eat it so there." Kiba stuck his tongue out and reached again for the box. This time Sasuke let him.

"This one looks like Akamaru." Kiba decided before biting of its head.

"No it doesn't. It doesn't even look like a dog."

"It does, too. Look, here's the tail and the chocolate looks like the spot on his back, see?"

"You look like you're both having fun."

Sasuke jumped up immediately, cookies forgotten, when he saw the person walking towards them. It had been maybe a month, maybe two, since they'd seen each other. His hair was longer, tied in a ponytail, his voice slightly deeper than Sasuke was used to and-

"You're _huge_." Kiba exclaimed, voicing Sasuke's own thought. Itachi had grown _very_ much since their separation. Now Sasuke barely reached his waist. So unfair.

Itachi smiled fondly at Kiba. It was no secret that his big brother somehow adored Sasuke's friend, out of them all. He didn't know why since compared to his other friends, Kiba was loud, and annoying and a prankster to boot, the complete opposite of Sasuke. Sasuke met Itachi halfway, giving him a very awkward hug. Kiba was next to him, cookies in hand and offering it to his brother.

"I helped make them." He boasted.

"Is that so?" Itachi picked one, dark chocolate since both he and Sasuke hated raisins and Itachi didn't like peanuts. He took a bite and chewed slowly. "Their good."

Kiba smiled proudly and went back to their spot, leaving Sasuke alone with his brother at last.

"Happy birthday, little brother." Itachi ruffled his hair, making it stand on end. Sasuke tried to make it stop defying gravity to no avail.

"Thank you." He mumbled, looking down at his feet and shuffling awkwardly. He wanted to know what Itachi's present for him was but he didn't want to sound very demanding. He was a big boy now and big boys can wait.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" Itachi asked, kneeling down so he could see Sasuke's face.

"…I missed you…" Sasuke said to his toes, blushing bright red to his neck.

Itachi chuckled and poked him on the forehead. Sasuke gasped in indignation and looked up, finally meeting his brother's eyes. "I missed you, too."

Itachi smiled at him, kindly, with so much affection that had been lacking in Sasuke's days recently. His eyes looked tired and Sasuke didn't like that. He knew Itachi was old but he shouldn't look like that. Sasuke reached a hand and tried to wipe away the lines under his brother's eyes. They wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried but the action made the dark red eyes soften.

Sasuke could wait for his gift. Right now he wanted Itachi by his side. He grasped Itachi's hand-so very rough and much bigger than his own-and tugged, making the older boy stand up and follow his brother silently. Kiba was already waiting for them and Sasuke sat beside him, patting the place next to him and silently telling Itachi to sit. Itachi did so, with a soft smile on his lips.

"Hey, hey," Kiba said after they made themselves comfortable. "I saw you on TV last week, ni-san. Are you an actor now?"

Sasuke jerked his head so fast his neck hurt. "Are you?" He didn't know about that. He rarely watched television, choosing to spend his time with books, so this was news to him.

"I'm not, Kiba. It's really nothing special." Itachi answered shortly, and didn't say more. Sasuke pouted. He'll just ask later.

Itachi eyed Sasuke for a moment. "Don't you want to know what I got you for your birthday?"

Kiba sat straighter and leaned towards Itachi, shouting very close to Sasuke's ear. "I do! I do!"

"Shut up. Kiba. It's not your birthday!"

"But I want to know! I want to know!"

"I'll know first and I'll just tell you later!"

"No! Itachi-ni-san, tell me!"

"Now, now…calm down you two."

"Itachi, there you are." Their squabbling halted as they saw Sasuke's father approaching them, a familiar man walking beside him. "Hizashi here wants to talk with you."

"It's okay, I think the kids are quite busy." Hizashi Hyuuga said, raising a placating hand towards them. The dark haired man waved it off.

"Nonsense. I'm sure Sasuke and his friend can play by themselves. Come, Itachi."

They were taking Itachi away, just when Sasuke had him. Adults were selfish people, even his father. It was bad, thinking this way, but he couldn't help it. They just take and take and think that everything was theirs. This bitterness made Sasuke hold Itachi's hand, preventing the older boy from walking away.

"No." He said defiantly.

Itachi frowned. "Sasuke, not now. I promise I'll play with you later."

"NO! You always promise you'll play but you don't!" Even Kiba was starting to fidget beside him, looking between the brothers and their father.

"I'll be quick, Sasuke. Just play with-."

"NO! Stay here! They're just going to make you talk about stupid things! Don't go with them! I WON'T LET YOU!"

"Sasuke!"

The word came from Itachi, but the slap that made Sasuke's head snap to the side was delivered by a heavy hand.

"Acting like this in front of a guest, have you no shame?" His father's eyes were as cold as ice and sharp as a knife. He was angry. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but this is enough. Go to your room."

Sasuke looked up, wanting to argue but Itachi, hand slack on Sasuke's, stopped him.

"Go, Sasuke."

It was this that made him cry. Even Itachi, who was his favorite person even though he broke promises sometimes, were on the adult's side. If he wasn't going to get the one thing he wanted, then it might as well have been any ordinary day.

Sasuke ran.

**(01)**

**4:30 pm**

It wasn't the first time his father hit him, but it was the first time he did it in front of someone. Now he wouldn't be able to face Kiba, he was so ashamed. He didn't even do anything too bad. Why was his father like that? And Sasuke thought that today at least, his father would be proud of him; for being a year already and already he's won tons of awards. Kiba never got any award but when Sasuke saw him with his parents, they were always happy. Why was he different? What was he doing wrong?

_Or maybe he wasn't really in the wrong maybe it was them they were wrong all of them_

"Sasuke? Honey are you okay?" his mother's voice shook him out of his dark thoughts. The door was opened and she was there, standing a little hesitantly but still beautiful in her dark blue dress. She was looking at Sasuke sadly.

"Honey, you need to get dressed. The guests are coming. How are we going to start the party if you're not there?" She walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, her hand immediately seeking his under the comforter. "You're father didn't mean to do that. He's just stressed with all the preparations. He wants this day to be perfect for you. You know that, right?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, just nodded. He let himself get pulled out from under the covers and be dressed. His eyes were wet and puffy and his mom kissed both of it, saying that it will make all the pain go away.

He didn't really believe it. He also didn't believe anything she said about his father. He was always like that. He never did see anything Sasuke did as something to be proud of. Sasuke was always a humiliation. A disappointment.

Well, that was just perfect. He was a failure, Itachi was perfect, his mother was a liar, no matter how unintentional, and his father was selfish.

**(01)**

**6:52 pm**

Sasuke's mood didn't improve. It just got worse and worse. He couldn't look Kiba in the eyes and the kids he was supposed to be playing with, until the party officially started, were huddled in the living room, talking amongst themselves and pointing fingers at him. Kiba was in the middle of them. He had been approached by two girls earlier, bugging him about useless things and asking if he was okay. They already knew. Of course Kiba wasn't known to keep his mouth shut but it still hurt to see him talking with Neji of all people, about him getting slapped in the face in front of Neji's father.

Itachi was nowhere to be found.

Sometime ago, he spotted Karin, busy with carting food to and fro, and asked him if he could just skip the party and go to bed early.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke? This party is for you. Look, you're father's already entertaining some guests and I'm sure he's telling them how proud he is of you. And you get to talk later at the opening. Just wait there with the kids and play, yeah?"

It seemed that Karin, at least, didn't know what happened earlier. Sasuke knew it wouldn't be long before she did, since the whole world and their moms already did.

A maid sauntered to the group and they were told to go to the garden. The party was starting.

Sasuke never bothered looking when those people were decorating. He was really surprised to see their already beautiful garden transformed into something out of a fairytale.

Lights were wrapped around every tree and bush making them glow ethereally. In the middle was a cluster of flowers surrounding a fountain. The sound of splashing water made for a good background noise along with the soft violin playing somewhere. The tables were all round, lit by old fashioned lamps that hang from a pole sticking out from the middle of the table. This and the lights form the trees and bushes were the only things illuminating the place. There were also a collection of flowers at every corner, much like the ones in the middle, only fewer and without the fountain. In front was a platform, decorated with more lamps and lights and flowers, and on it was his father, holding a microphone and talking to someone.

The atmosphere lifted his mood somewhat. He thought, after seeing what they did just to celebrate his birthday, he should still enjoy it, even on his own.

He was hoping to sit beside Itachi but the older boy was still engaged in a conversation with another old man. He seemed interested but to Sasuke he was just being politely bored. He wanted to save his brother from that but he was afraid his father would see him and reprimand him again so he just walked to his seat. Her mother was already there, chatting with Mrs. Tachibana, if Sasuke remembered correctly. The woman wore too much make up and tried very hard to look slim even though her stomach was trying to tear her very fit gown down the middle. She always talked in a very high pitched voice, and her laugh was annoying. So was the big mole on her chin. He wondered why his mother even bothered to talk with her since she too, was constantly complaining about the other woman.

Someone cleared their throat politely, the sound echoing from all the speakers placed around the garden. All eyes turned to the platform and on his father.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Before everything else, I would like to thank you for giving the time of day to celebrate with me something so very important. And also, thank you for your congratulations and gifts. I cannot truly express how happy and proud I am." A pause, and he turned his face to the side, smiling at someone.

His father was happy. And proud. He remembered Karin's words form earlier and had to smile a little. Karin was always right. And then he remembered something else she'd said. He was going to talk? In front of all these people? He paled. How was he going to do that? What was he even going to say?

He looked to his mother, trying to catch her attention but she was completely focused on what was being said in front.

Okay, he can do this. He'll just walk there and say thank you, enjoy the cake, and have a pleasant evening. That was good enough.

He fidgeted a little, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants and looking back at his father. He had started talking again.

"For years, ever since our son was born, I knew that he was someone I could be proud of. The moment he showed me his first perfect exam and the moment he won a quiz bee. But tonight, let me tell you, that I am and will always be proud to be the father of such a brilliant boy. I knew what I should expect but he surely delivered more than what I expected. Tonight let us celebrate," Sasuke gulped. His father was going to call him forward, any moment now. He just hoped he didn't trip on anything. That would be embarrassing. "My son, Itachi Uchiha's college graduation."

There was a round of applause as Itachi walked slowly, gracefully next to his father. He bowed his head and their father slung an arm on his shoulder. It was a very uncharacteristic gesture from him and Itachi seemed to be just as surprised as Sasuke.

"Only sixteen and already, this son of mine, have already accomplished many things than even I could never have done. He's already surpassed me in many ways and as a father this makes me so…happy and so proud, to have him in my family. He's the son I could ever hope for and I could not really ask for more." A glass of something was handed to him by a waiter.

"Tonight, join me as I celebrate this momentous day. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, let me share with you my happiness." He raised his glass and every one followed his lead. After that, many guests gathered around Itachi and his father, shaking his hand and congratulating them both. His mother was too busy gossiping with other wives to notice that the seat beside him was empty.

Nobody noticed as Sasuke walked away.

**(01END)**

**Next chapter will be a little darker and will introduce more characters and also Naruto. Please bear in mind that this story will contain some sensitive issues concerning children (i.e. child labor, child abuse, substance abuse) but there will be no pedophilia here. I hope.**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

WARNING: Very brief scene of attempted child molestation, just a little bit, nothing graphic.

The rating changed, by the way, did you notice? XD

**(02START)**

**July 23 20XX**

**8:12pm**

The book was perfect.

Sasuke had started reading it the moment he saw it in his room. He didn't see anyone on the way which was just as good since he didn't want to be told to go back out there. To that stupid party, a party that didn't even involve him.

So Karin had been wrong, that was too bad. Sasuke didn't hate her for that. She just didn't know better. That excuse did not apply to him, though, since _he_ knew better, since he should have expected something like this.

After all, everything in this house was always about Itachi.

Maybe a part of him deep down had already known. Maybe that was why he didn't feel the all consuming anger or sadness he expected. He just felt numb all over. Which Sasuke supposed was a good thing or else he would have been bawling by now.

From his room, he could still hear the noises from the garden. It distracted him sometimes from his wonderful read. He would have to thank his scarred teacher again later. Maybe tomorrow if he had the chance.

He'd been gone an hour, maybe longer, but no one has come running to look for him. They were too engrossed in their own world to notice one little boy slipping past. Kiba and the others didn't even call out to him when they saw Sasuke leaving the garden. They, too, were busy being happy kids.

But Sasuke was okay with that. They didn't need him anyway. Kiba only played with him because he was cool, Neji was an ass-and will continue to be until the end of eternity- and they weren't really friends, anyway. He noticed that Shikamaru wasn't in attendance. Maybe because he found it too troublesome to go.

His parents on the other hand were too busy mooning over their perfect son. Itachi must have been carted off for show the whole time. Well, good for him. That's what he gets for being sooo perfect. They didn't even want him, or so he gathered from his father's speech. Itachi was all they'd asked for and there was nothing else they needed, not another son who couldn't measure up to their high standards.

Well if they didn't need him, then Sasuke didn't need them, too.

And that was when the idea struck him.

It hit him so hard the impact made him just stand dumbfounded there in the middle of his room.

If they didn't want him then he just had to go away. It would make his parents happy and it would make Sasuke happy, too. He didn't think he could stay here anymore, not with them constantly rubbing in his face how unwanted he was.

But where was he going to go?

He didn't want to live with Kiba, they weren't friends anymore. Neji was totally out of the question because he would definitely tattle on Sasuke the moment he learned of Sasuke's plan. He could go to Ino's but that would count as being married in the girl's book so definitely not. Shikamaru? He was a friend and he wouldn't tatlle on Sasuke and he would never assume anything about marriage so he guessed it was okay.

The next question was; how was he going there?

He couldn't ask any of the drivers, obviously, or the maids. He couldn't just walk there from here, it was too far and Sasuke didn't know the directions. Sasuke contemplated his dilemma. Walking to the window, he wondered if he could ask Karin for help. Sasuke thought it was worth a try, maybe. Looking out, he saw a truck parked outside. He assumed that it was one from the catering. Two people were loading empty crates at the back.

This was just perfect.

Grabbing his now favorite book on the bed, he walked out of his room, looking left and right to see if anyone was around. The house was relatively empty, save for a couple of maids walking to the kitchen and back out. He avoided them easily enough and he got to the stairs with ease. He wondered if he should get money, but decided against it. It would take time to get and he wasn't even sure where to get some. He'll just ask Shikamaru and then pay him when he gets a job.

The back door was more crowded, since this as where the maids entered from the garden. He hid behind a tower of boxes and waited until the coast was clear, then he dashed out the door and bumped straight into Karin.

"And where have you been, mister?" She asked sternly, hands on her hips. Sasuke started sweating, heart beating a mile a minute.

"Uhmm…around?" He stammered. He wanted to bit himself for that. Now Karin knew he was up to something.

"Uh huh, and were you anywhere near the cake when you were _around_?" What, cake, what? Caught off guard by the question, Sasuke just nodded his head and hoped for the best.

"I knew it." Karin tsk. She pinched Sasuke's cheek. "Hands off the cake, Sasuke, you have to wait your turn."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy. Now off with you."

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He couldn't help the relieved bark of laughter that escaped him. Lucky! Now all he had to do was look for that truck. It didn't take long since it was parked just below Sasuke's room and that wasn't very far from the back. He deflated slightly when he saw no one. Now what? He had planned on asking the driver to take him to Shikamaru. He'll just say that he was going there to give the boy a birthday cake. He smacked himself lightly. He had no cake! What was he going to do now?

He walked to the back of the truck and found the door open. He looked inside. It was full of boxes that smelled of the drink his father always drank at night. Sweet and sour at the same time. The inside wasn't cold and it wasn't too hot either, just the right temperature.

Sasuke yawned. It was probably getting late, and the sounds from the party were getting quieter and quieter. Maybe it was almost over. Then he'll just have to wait here.

Putting down the book on the floor of the trunk, he placed both his hands on it too, putting all his weight on it and pulling his tiny feet up. When he was up, he collected the book and walked to the front, sitting on the floor behind the stacks of crates. The lights from the house and the garden hurt his eyes.

He closed his eyes and yawned again. Now he'll just have to wait. He was sure it wouldn't take long since the party was already ending and the men would be here soon.

He'll just close his eyes a minute.

**(02)**

The sound of voices woke Sasuke from his sleep. At first he thought it was Karin, trying to wake him up for school. A second later, he noticed that the voices were deeper and he wasn't in his bed. It was too hard where he was lying. When he opened his eyes and saw complete darkness, he almost started panicking. He grabbed hold of his book and struggled to calm his breath.

Where was he?

There was a loud creaking noise, of metal doors being pulled open and Sasuke remembered the party, and his room, and Karin, and then his plan.

Two men were talking to each other. They still haven't noticed Sasuke and one was telling the other to 'leave it. It's late. We'll do it tomorrow.'

The men were already gone when Sasuke's brain kicked in. No! He had to talk to them. He had to go to Shikamaru.

Sasuke, book still in hand, walked slowly to the door. His body was still sleep addled and he still yawned every few seconds. It was too bright outside, and there were a lot of car noises. He assumed that the guests were already leaving.

When he stepped out of the truck, trying not to fall on his bum when he jumped out, he took a look around and froze. For the first time, true fear slid down his back and settled uncomfortably on his stomach.

He wasn't at his house.

He wasn't anywhere near his house.

His breath started to come out in swift pants and his knees were going weak on him. The sound of his heart beat grew louder and louder in his head and his vision was growing dark. Cold sweat was forming all over his body and Sasuke, acting on instinct, had to bite his arm until it bled a little to calm himself down. This was no time to panic. He had to think first.

Where was he? He had to find out where he was. All the panicked thoughts, Sasuke shoved at the back of his mind and he tried to think rationally. He was at a warehouse and his view of the outside form the large, opened doors, told him that he wasn't anywhere near the vast forest that surrounded their house. From the sounds he could hear, he concluded that he was in the middle of town or a city.

_His house was nowhere near any city_.

Taking one, two and then a third deep breath; he walked to the opened doors. He had to find someone and then he'll ask for directions. A loud sound echoed inside the warehouse and the lights started to go off one by one. Sasuke eeped and made a run for the large metal doors. He tripped and his legs gave out. He stood up quickly and was out the door just as the warehouse turned dark.

He looked down on himself, huffing quick breaths that he could see due to the cold. His shorts were torn a little, he had a scratch on his right knee and his white shirt was dirty all over. Karin would have his head when she sees this. At least the book was still intact.

"Hey, you there! What are you doing?"

Oh good, someone was still here. He didn't know what time it was so maybe he could ask the man somewhere he could sleep for the time being. He was still a little tired both from sleep and the mad run he just did but adrenaline made him quite alert and fidgety. When Sasuke turned around to ask just that, his brows furrowed in confusion at seeing the man stomping closer to him, face scrunched up in anger, holding what looked to be a long and thick piece of wood. He was brandishing it wildly, if a little drunkenly, and was shouting obscenities in Sasuke's direction.

"You bloody rats! How many times do I have to tell you to stay away! I'll fucking break your bones, damn brat! You-."

Sasuke didn't wait for the man to finish his rant. He didn't even try to talk some sense into him. He just started running in the opposite direction with no destination in mind but away. That man was crazy! Did he not recognize Sasuke? And he called him a rat! And he swore, too! Sasuke was really scared. He was already starting to feel angry with himself. Too weak to do anything by himself, too weak to fight. He found the gate that led outside of the ground. He didn't recognize the place and wherever this was, Sasuke was starting to get the feeling that it was far-_too far what was he going to do how can he go back-_from home. There was no time to think though; he could still hear the man's angry words. Running was the only good thing he could do now, running and not getting killed by the mad man.

Sasuke ran straight ahead, hoping at the end of this dark alley, there would be some form of salvation.

Everything went crazy from there. He didn't know how it happened, one moment he was running then the next he was flat on his back, a car parked haphazardly next to him in the middle of the street, and the back of his head was throbbing. The man behind the wheel was screaming himself red. There was a split second when his heart stopped beating; when the world stopped spinning on its axis and Sasuke's brain halted all action. Everything paused and when his mind told him to _move, stupid, MOVE, _as if in slow motion, everything started moving again. He stood up and ran like he never did before. More angry words were thrown at him as he dashed between pedestrians. He didn't stop to say sorry. He didn't stop to take a breath and he didn't stop to look behind him. If he did the man with the wood was going to break his bones and the angry man in the car would run him over for good.

He didn't want to stop, there was no telling what would happen to him if he did, but a lifetime after-it felt like it- his trembling legs gave a final weak step and he was down. Down on his knees in an unknown place with no one around. He looked around blankly. His feet had taken him to an empty courtyard, if it could be called that. It was just really an empty lot surrounded by morose looking buildings with lots and lots of junk scattered about. He didn't want to be out in the open. There were people after him. Sasuke crawled and crawled until he found safety behind a smelly rubbish bin. He looked up and found the stars winking down at him.

_Sleep_, they said,_ sleep and it will all go away._

So he did.

**(02)**

Sasuke woke up and fervently wished he hadn't. It was a miracle he even managed to have the bit of rest he did. He had tossed and turned last night in his sleep, trying to find comfort in the unyielding ground and the muscles of his legs hurt like crazy. Upon examining himself he found the scratch on his knee had turned a nasty red and purple, the bite on his arm was stinging, there was a rather large lump behind his head and he was also cold. He couldn't even move a muscle, he felt so stiff. Sometime last night he had lost his left shoe and there were blisters on his foot. All he could do was sit there and try not to cry.

He didn't want to think of home, of his father and mother, of Itachi and Karin. Later but not now. If he did then he would probably die from misery. Right now he had to be strong. This was a mistake made from his decision. He was old enough to be responsible for his actions, and he wouldn't cry.

Unbidden, a few tears swept down his cheek and he wiped it away furiously. When he put his hand back down he saw his book on the ground next to him. By some sort of miracle, he didn't drop it on his mad dash to safety. From now on until he got back home, this would be his treasure.

His stomach grumbled and Sasuke paled. He was hungry. After all the running he did last night it was only natural to feel so but now wasn't the time to be hungry. He didn't know where to find food and he didn't have any money. But if he didn't eat, he was going to die.

Was he going to die?

Before the panic could take root in his bones, sounds of laughter broke in his thoughts. He tried to be as small as possible, hoping for the bin to hide him from view.

"No, you fuck. It was the other way around. He punched me in the face and I kicked his balls."

Laughter from the same person followed these words and Sasuke frowned. The voice was that of a child, but there were a lot of things wrong in that sentence. It was bad to say the f-word, Itachi had told him, and Sasuke could never say balls in _that_ context aloud without blushing.

Whoever the parents of these kids were, they were doing a bad job of it. Even Kiba would never use those words aloud.

He curled in on himself when the kids, now in clear view, all four of them, got too close to his hiding spot. The bin was tucked in the corner so if they spotted him, there was nowhere to run.

"That's so mean, Naruto. He didn't even do anything to you." A girl, with dirty pink hair, chided. A blond kid, much smaller than the girl from Sasuke's view, scratched his nose.

"Well, he was annoying you. And I just said his eyebrows were super ugly." He sounded completely unapologetic. "'sides, Gaara broke his nose, too, s'why am I the only one getting scolded?"

The redhead beside the blond snorted but didn't say anything. He had the same hairstyle as the blond, spiking every which way, and he had no eyebrows. Sasuke wondered why no one seemed to want to say something about that.

"Well, Gaara's diff'rent. And you're really ugly."

"Whaaaat?"

"'s true, you're ugly, Naruto."

Sasuke noticed that the third boy in their group wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even looking at his friends, even as the Naruto kid pushed the pink haired girl so hard she fell on her bum. In fact, the kid was looking in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke couldn't see anything under the sun glasses he wore but he could just tell that the kid was looking at him. Sasuke started sweating. He felt for his legs and concluded that he wouldn't be able to take one step from the way they hurt.

The redhead noticed the third boy's inattentiveness. He opened his mouth to probably ask what the matter was.

"You brats! Time to work!" A loud voice bellowed and Sasuke jumped. His back hit the bin and it made a hollow sound. Luckily, no one noticed since they too were just as surprised.

"Fucking stupid Zabuza." Naruto said as they walked away. Sasuke caught a glimpse of a tall man slugging the blond in the head before they were gone. He heaved a sigh of relief.

His stomach grumbled again, and there was no escaping the fact that he had to move at some point. He took a deep breath, hands finding some support as he tried to stand. Slowly, slowly he managed to pull himself up right and stay there without falling down again. He found that his legs could support him and it wasn't really hurting too bad now that he was using it. He walked out of his hiding place making sure that it was deserted. No one was around, kids or otherwise. He counted that as a good thing. He didn't want to get mixed in with those kinds of people. He wasn't like those dirty looking kids, he was just lost. In the back of his mind he wondered if his parents were looking for him.

Maybe not.

Sasuke didn't know the exact time but he assumed maybe it was about past nine in the morning. A few minutes later, he found himself in a street. The houses still looked desolate and the people around were mostly just standing around in groups but there were some who looked like passersby. Those people were easy to spot. They were the ones who didn't look too scary and were walking too fast and looking over their shoulders too often.

Instead of finding food, Sasuke decided to find out where he was. He had to start somewhere if he ever wanted to get back home. Even the thought of that word made Sasuke feel like something was stuck in his throat.

Looking around, he found no blonds or redheads or pinkheads. He was curious to know where those kid lives and what work they do. Why were they working anyway? Weren't they going to school?

He tried to put it out of his mind, but putting it out means thinking of other things and maybe he just had to stop thinking at all. Just ask for directions and then go. Where? Away, away from this scary place.

And Sasuke was really scared. He was taking deep breaths every few seconds and his palms were sweaty. The panic was just lurking behind him, waiting to grab him with cold hands. He could feel it. But he could fight it, too, he would. There was nothing to do but fight and then…and then survive.

_words that should never have been thought of by a child_

Sasuke stayed away from the adults. They were the scariest of them all. Some, about Itachi's age, were only talking with each other and passing around things in small packs. The adults though, were like rabid dogs, like the man from last night. They were all very quiet, eyeing everyone who was passing their group. Sasuke was about to ask the man walking quickly with a briefcase just like his father's when one of the groups of adults stood up as one as the man passed them. Sasuke couldn't see the man's face but he saw how the man's shoulder tensed so badly and how the man took longer strides.

A few steps away and the man started running. The group of scary men followed.

Something cold trickled down Sasuke's spine. He was a child but he wasn't _too_ naïve. He had to get out of here.

Sasuke walked in a sedate pace, trying not to attract attention. A few people looked at him but did nothing. How did he even get here? His brain had been too muddled last night it was hard to remember anything past the terrifying knowledge that a man was going to kill him with a stick and the fact that he almost died.

Sasuke stayed in the main street. He didn't want to find out what was hidden in between buildings and in dark alleys. Out here he thought he was safer. Someone stood up and Sasuke stopped. He could see it in his peripheral vision. It was a man. His heart bit quicken when he noticed the man looking at him and when the man took a step in his direction, Sasuke felt cold all over. He quickened his steps. He didn't want to run because running would surely provoke the other. That was what always happened in the movies, anyway.

Another set of footsteps followed his, and Sasuke was starting to tremble. What did the man want from him? Sasuke looked around as discreetly as he could, trying to find somewhere to hide even as his knees strated buckling in fear. As he scanned his surrounding, he spotted a man who didn't look like he belonged here. His clothes were too clean. Without thinking he made a beeline to him. A few paces away, the man looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow at him. Sasuke hesitated but when the man smiled kindly at him and then beckoned him over, Sasuke ran.

"Hey kid. What's the matter?" the man asked. He looked like a very kind man, with glasses and silver hair tied in a ponytail. Sasuke liked him, if only for being the only person to extend a helping hand to him.

"Kabuto." A gruff voice said behind Sasuke. When he turned around he found the man following him standing there. Sasuke grabbed 'Kabuto's' sleeves automatically. "That kids mine."

_Nonononononono, please, no._

A hand pulled him closer to a solid thigh and Sasuke felt safe. "No, he isn't." Kabuto said simply, his tone soft. "Go. Away."

The man stiffened. Sasuke didn't even think much of it when the man walked away without a word. He looked up and found Kabuto smiling down on him.

"Thank you." Sasuke said shyly.

"You're welcome. Now," Kabuto bent down so they were almost the same height. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you before."

"I…" Sasuke hesitated. He didn't know of he should tell this man everything. "I got lost." He answered simply.

"Hmm. And where are you from?" the man asked, petting Sasuke's head almost affectionately.

"Konoha." Sasuke answered.

The man's eyes widened. "Wow. That's very far from here. How did you even get here, kid?" Kabuto appeared to be thinking, his hands sliding down Sasuke's shoulders and to his little arms, kneading the muscles there. "I know. Why don't you come with me and I'll drive you back home? Is that okay with you?"

Sasuke could do nothing but nod. His eyes were getting wet and he rubbed at it furiously. He could even say a word of gratitude because he was feeling overwhelmed. He was going back home. Everything was going to be fine now.

Kabuto drew him in a hug and Sasuke put his small arms around the man, crying and crying and crying. He babbled his thanks over and over and the man just chuckled and told him everything was going to be fine, which it was. He didn't ever want to be alone anywhere. He had felt so scared. The world was too big for him and he couldn't take it on alone.

He told this all to Kabuto, he told him everything because he was a good, kind man. After the tears stopped and he had let go, he even showed him the book Iruka gave him. Kabuto just smiled.

"Come on," the man stood up and held Sasuke's hand. They started walking. "I have a few errands to run and then I have to go home to get something. And _then_, I'm going to take you home. Is that okay?"

"Okay."

They walked and walked and walked. Sasuke didn't pay any attention to where they were going. He had Kabuto now, he would know where to go.

Kabuto stopped suddenly and Sasuke, not paying attention, bumped his head on the man's thighs. Sasuke looked past the man and saw just ahead of them, a group of kids. Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw a familiar head of blond hair. He wanted to tell Kabuto that he knew one of them but when he looked at the man's face, it didn't bore any of the kindness it had before.

"Stupid brats." Kabuto muttered. Sasuke frowned. He wanted to ask if Kabuto was alright but the man jerked and pulled him to an alley to their right. The man's pace was brisk and when Sasuke looked behind them, he was surprised to see vivid blue eyes staring back at him. Kabuto pulled and pulled and the kid-Naruto-was gone.

**(02)**

Kabuto was on the phone for a long time. After that, he made another phone call. And then they waited.

They were in front of a tall building. The lights on the sign that proclaims it as 'Desert Apartel' was forever blinking in and out. It, as well as the waiting, was driving Sasuke mad. But he couldn't say anything. Kabuto was already kind enough to help him even if he was just a kid he knew a while ago. Also, Kabuto didn't look like he was in a good mood anymore. There was a permanent frown on his face and he had been muttering darkly to himself for hours. Sasuke didn't know how much time had passed but it was already past noon and he was sweaty. He was also staring to smell.

Suddenly, a black car that was so out of place here, pulled over in front of them. No one got out but the window on their side was pulled down and a man in dark clothes and dark glasses, as far as Sasuke could see, put out an envelope. Kabuto walked abruptly to the man and pulled something out of his clothes. Sasuke couldn't see what it was and when he stepped closer for a clear view, the man inside the car spoke.

"Is that a specimen?"

Kabuto also looked behind him and eyed Sasuke weirdly. "No." He answered after a pause.

"Too bad."

After the exchange and when there was nothing left of the car except for a storm of dust, Kabuto held his hand once more and started walking in another direction. He didn't say anything and Sasuke was too anxious to ask questions. He was starting to feel scared again. They entered another building, this one less rundown than the others. Kabuto tossed a few bills on the desk and the old man behind it looked at Sasuke before shaking his head.

Sasuke didn't like that.

They entered a room. Somehow, he didn't feel like this was the older man's home. It was too shabby and bare with furniture consisting only of a bed and a side table. Sasuke didn't know what to think of Kabuto and his mood swings. The door closed and with it Sasuke felt a sense of finality.

"Come here, little one." Kabuto was sitting on a bed, the sheets looking so old and threadbare Sasuke wasn't sure if it could hold out for long. He took slow steps towards the man.

"Are we going home yet?" He asked. He didn't want to stay in this place any longer and frankly, Kabuto was starting to scare him.

"In a while." Kabuto answered. He reached out and pulled Sasuke closer, hands going from Sasuke's back to his arms and then lower still. Sasuke squirmed, feeling discomfort and a niggling suspicion in the back of his mind. "You have a wound here." The man continued, pressing his fingers on Sasuke's bitten arm. "And also here." The hand moved to his knees. "Let's take off your clothes, okay? Find out if you're hurt somewhere else."

Sasuke wanted so very much to protest but Kabuto was already discarding his shirt. His left hand stuck, having been holding the book all this time. It was tugged impatiently away and was put down somewhere. Sasuke couldn't see; the shirt already pulled over his head and then his arms. Kabuto chucked his shirt together with the book and Sasuke worried it might get lost or forgotten when it was time for them to go home. He promised himself to remember it later.

Kabuto let out a breath. It made Sasuke's hair flutter and tickle his face. "You're very pretty, aren't you?"

Sasuke frowned. He wasn't pretty. Pretty was for girls and he was not a girl. The protest he was planning to deliver stuck in his throat when Kabuto's fingers accidentally brushed the knob on his chest.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt here?" Kabuto asked. He wasn't looking at Sasuke, instead his attention was fully concentrated on what his hands were doing. Sasuke tried to struggle free but the hands that were touching his chest grabbed him on his arms and gripped tightly. "Shhh. It's alright. I won't hurt you."

The words were hissed softly in his face. It smelled of tobacco and bile and unknown things. More importantly, it told Sasuke more than the words actually spoken. This man was dangerous. It radiated from his body like an invisible veil, almost tangible but unseen. It showed in his eyes like it never did before, back when he was helping Sasuke, back when Sasuke laid out his insecurities to him, to be skimmed and then thrown away. Sasuke didn't know it then, but now he knew it with clarity. This man was dangerous. He _couldn't_ trust _this _MAN _HE HAD TO GET OUT_

Sasuke's scream of uncharacteristic rage when the man tried to grab his shorts was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. Sasuke only had time to look at the window as it shattered to millions of shiny pieces before something else was thrown inside. There was a few seconds were nothing moved and then the small white balls started producing large amounts of smoke. Sasuke gasped. It was quickly filling the small room. It made his eyes water. He heard Kabuto curse. The man stood up, pulling Sasuke with him even as Sasuke struggled violently. His heart was trying to break out of his chest and his mind was trying to work out what was happening. Were they under attack?

"Stop struggling, damn you." Kabuto snarled, turning around and hitting Sasuke with the back of his hand. Sasuke cried out. He couldn't see anything because of the thick smoke but he still reached out to where he thought Kabuto's arms were and bit as hard as he could. He was pushed away and the force of it made Sasuke stumble.

There was a loud _BANG!_ And then another and then there were screams coming from all directions. Kabuto was shouting and there was thumping noises everywhere, as if he was struggling against something and then _Sasuke _was struggling too. Hands were grabbing him everywhere. He tried to bite all of them off but one of them smacked him hard on his head and a voice was whispering furiously amidst the chaos.

"Quit being a pain in the ass, bastard. We have to get out of here."

The word _out_ registered in Sasuke's brain and without prompting, he followed where the hands-_so small even compared to his own_-pulled. The smoke was still too thick and Sasuke had to close his eyes against the sting of it. He was struggling for breath and he stumbled every step but the voice was insistent and the hand felt so strong.

When Sasuke took a breath and it didn't clog his throat, he finally opened his eyes. They had gotten outside somehow. The metal stairs they were standing on was very rusty and groaned ominously every step they took and when Sasuke looked up behind him, he could see the window where they must have stepped out of. Smoke was still coming out of it and from where they were, Sasuke could hear angry voices and sounds of things being flung about. A pull on his arm made Sasuke look back ahead, and he saw his captor and savior looking at him.

"Bastard, we have to move. Do you want stupid Kabuto to find us? _Move._"

A loud crackling laughter sounded behind them. They both paused and looked behind.

"RUN, Naruto!"

Naruto, instead of crying out in fear, released a hearty laugh of excitement, mimicked by the others coming out of the window one after the other. The small blond gave another pull on Sasuke's arm, his eyes full of mischief Sasuke had never seen on anyone, even Kiba.

"RUN, BASTARD!"

At a loss of what to think or what to feel, Sasuke let go of all his doubts and ran. Wherever the hand on his arms guided him, and whatever that mischievous voice told him to do, he followed.

**(02END)**

**Told you it was going to be dark. I just googled the smoked bomb thingy, I don't know how to make one and it's just for this scene anyway so let's not get technical, 'kay?**

**Next chapter will feature lots and lots of Naruto! And other characters, too. I'll try to make this as realistic as possible, especially concerning homeless kids. There are a lot of things I want to write about them. Some of those things may be offensive to others but I'm not looking to please them, I'm here to write so, yeah, just skip the parts you don't like if you want, but please no flaming since you have been given apt warning beforehand. After the kids part though, when Sasuke and Naruto are older, this will get more fictional and very, very unrealistic. Hehe.**

royalknights612- A lot of people say that to me but then I write the next chapter and they find out that everything was all dumb luck and I'm really just a writer of clichés. I hope this chapter didn't do that to you. And yes, this will mostly be SASUNARU. I like it better than NaruSasu. BUT, I have to say, I don't agree with you when you say Sasuke can't be uke. It just depends on the person's preferences. For me, I like Naruto as an uke because he is my favorite character. That also applies to all my fandoms. I like light in DeathNote best so he's the uke. Other people may think otherwise, but meh, I don't really care. My friend told me that for her, the stronger character will always be seme, if we apply that to Naruto, maybe she'll think that Naruto is the seme 'cause he's super strong right now. Other people have their own likes, too. And anyway, in real life, I think there isn't a permanent uke or seme. The gay partners almost always switch, sooo…haha, sorry for the rant. Thanks for the review.

Mangekyou2013- Err, okay? Hehe. Do you hate Kiba now? Well, of course I'll hate anyone who backstabs one of my favorite characters. Uhm, I would just like to explain that here, Kiba is a child. He is eight years old and I am of the opinion that kids are insensitive. They don't know what to say and not to say. They don't always think about other people's feelings since, well, their kids. They have no trouble voicing what's on their minds. Thank's for your very heartfelt reaction, though. Hehe.

Guest- good question. Haha. Errr, I hope so, too. I write fics when the mood strikes me. If I think a fic of mine can go somewhere then I'll write and write until I hit a road block. If, against all odds I overcome that road block, then I'll write and write again, thus repeating the process, until hopefully, I finish the fic. Buuuut, as you can see so far…well, let's just hope for the best. I'll try to finish this, though, if not one of my other fics.

Guest- are you the same person? Erm, sorry to say but this will be SasuNaru. I'm pretty sure that has turned you off this fic forever but I'll still try not to make Naruto girly. I like it more when they both act like boys, not just overly girly guys. I think the uke and seme wouldn't matter here anyway, since I think I won't be writing any sex scene. I suck at those.

AkitaIce –Who? Wha-EH? Why? What did I do? XD

Rosebunse- Thanks! Soooo, is it interesting still?


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